Volta a Catalunya Stage 2 - Bouhanni repeats to extend his lead

Nacer Bouhanni repeated his win from stage 1, taking today's stage in Olot in similarly decisive fashion from Gianni Meersman (EQS).

Bouhanni's Cofidis teammates gave him the perfect leadout, as they were by far the most organised team in the last few kilometres.

Perennial attacker Thomas de Gendt (LTS) grabbed what headlines there were in the early stages, beating his three break companions Maxime Bouet (EQS), Boris Dron (WGG) and Kamil Gradek (VAT) to the intermediate sprints to pick up six bonus seconds.

Dron took the lead in the climber classification after being first up Alt dels Angels, the day's only category 1 climb. After that peak, the break began to disintegrate, with de Gendt the last surviving member to be caught, some 15km short of the finish.

With 7km to go, the peloton was still going at a relatively slow pace, allowing as many as ten teams to share the lead of the peloton. The pace did eventually quicken as a slight incline was crested, with Sky and Movistar always prominent.

After a couple of sharp turns in the last kilometre shredded most of the teams' trains, Cofidis came out of the final turn in control. Bouhanni held third wheel and, despite some weaving over the road from Etixx-QuickStep, he remained in the slipstream of his leadout man, Geoffrey Soupe.

Etixx-QuickStep's Meersman surged past them both as he launched an early sprint, but Bouhanni always had it in hand, securing the win and extending his GC lead.

@PhotoGomezSport

Tomorrow sees the race head into the mountains, and hopefully should provide the first time this year to see Chris Froome (SKY), Nairo Quintana (MOV), Fabio Aru (AST) and Alberto Contador (TNK) do battle together on the slopes, and should give some early indications for whose early season form is looking strongest.

Stage results
1. Nacer Bouhanni (COF) 4:39:10
2. Gianni Meersman (EQS) + :00
3. Philippe Gilbert (BMC) + :00

General Classification
1. Nacer Bouhanni (COF) 9:07:41
2. Ben Swift (SKY) + :14
3. Thomas de Gendt (LTS) + :14
4. Daryl Impey (OGE) + :16
5. Philippe Gilbert (BMC) + :16
6. Maxime Bouet (EQS) + :16
7. Louis Vervaeke (LTS) + :17
8. Javier Moreno (MOV) + :18
9. Ruben Fernandez (MOV) + :19
10. Aleksei Tsatevich (KAT) + :20